Andalusia PAU Design cheat sheet

Gestalt laws describe perceptual grouping: proximity (near elements group), similarity (alike elements group), closure (incomplete shapes are completed), continuity (aligned elements read as a line), figure-ground (a shape is separated from its background).

Contrast is the perceived difference between two elements in any dimension (value, hue, size, texture); high contrast directs attention, low contrast produces unity but risks illegibility.

Visual weight is the apparent heaviness of an element; it increases with size, darkness, saturation, complexity and isolation, and it is balanced around the composition's optical centre, slightly above geometric centre.

Symmetry (bilateral, radial) produces stability and formality; asymmetry produces dynamism and must be balanced by compensating visual weight.

The aesthetic triad: a stimulus is judged beautiful when it is processed fluently (prototypical, symmetric, high contrast) and when it matches the viewer's expectations and context.

Reading order in Western layouts follows the Z-pattern for sparse pages and the F-pattern for text-dense pages; gaze priority is driven by contrast, faces, and motion before text.

Colour constancy and simultaneous contrast: a colour's appearance shifts with its surround, so a swatch must always be judged against the final background, never in isolation.

Elements: point, line, plane, volume, shape/form, value, colour, texture, space. Principles: balance, rhythm, proportion, scale, hierarchy, emphasis, unity/variety, movement.

Colour models: RGB (additive, screens), CMYK (subtractive, print), HSB (hue 0-360°, saturation and brightness 0-100%) for intuitive manipulation; Pantone as a spot-colour reference system.

Colour harmony schemes: monochromatic (one hue), analogous (adjacent hues), complementary (opposite, maximum contrast), split-complementary, triadic (three evenly spaced hues).

Value structure: a composition reads clearly with three value groups (light, mid, dark); squinting at a design reveals whether its value pattern holds without colour.

Golden ratio φ ≈ 1.618 and the rule of thirds are proportional guides; the rule of thirds places key elements on the intersections of a 3×3 grid.

Positive space is occupied by figures; negative space is the unoccupied area and is an active compositional element (counterform in lettering, whitespace in layout).

Texture is either tactile (real surface) or visual (simulated); repetition of a texture module creates pattern, and scale change turns pattern into a single textural field.

Vector graphics store geometry as mathematical paths (Bézier curves with anchor points and handles); they scale without loss and suit logos, typography and signage.

Raster graphics store a pixel grid; resolution is measured in ppi for screens and dpi for output, and file size grows with the square of linear dimensions.

Print resolution rule: 300 ppi at final size for photographs; 1200-2400 dpi for line art and bitmap lettering; large-format banners may drop to 100-150 ppi at viewing distance.

Colour management: calibrate the monitor, work in a defined profile (sRGB for web, Adobe RGB or CMYK for print), and soft-proof before output; convert, do not assign, profiles.

File formats: PDF/X for press-ready output, SVG for scalable web vector, PNG for lossless raster with transparency, JPEG for lossy photographs, TIFF for lossless print masters.

Bleed (typically 3 mm) extends artwork beyond the trim line; crop marks, registration marks and safe margins belong outside the live area.

Traditional media behave differently: ink and watercolour are transparent and build up, gouache and acrylic are opaque and cover, and pencil/charcoal modulate through pressure and grain.

The brief fixes objectives, target audience, constraints (budget, deadline, format), deliverables and success criteria; an ambiguous brief must be renegotiated into measurable requirements before ideation.

Design thinking cycle: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test; it is iterative, not linear, and each test feeds back into redefinition.

The double diamond: discover (diverge), define (converge), develop (diverge), deliver (converge).

Divergent tools: brainstorming with deferred judgement, mind maps, mood boards, SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse).

Convergent tools: weighted decision matrix, dot voting, Pugh matrix, and feasibility/viability/desirability screening.

Prototype fidelity is chosen by the question asked: low-fidelity sketches and paper mock-ups test concept, high-fidelity mock-ups test detail and usability.

User research methods: interviews (why), observation and contextual inquiry (how in reality), surveys (how many), usability testing (where it fails).

Ergonomic anthropometry uses percentile data: 5th percentile for reach limits, 95th percentile for clearance, and the 50th for adjustable ranges; design for the extreme user, not the average.

Standard anthropometric references: adult stature ~1.70 m, eye height ~1.60 m, comfortable standing work surface 900-950 mm, seated desk 720-750 mm, seat height 420-450 mm.

Design for the 5th-95th percentile range means an adjustable element should span both limits; a fixed element should satisfy the 95th percentile clearance or 5th percentile reach.

Universal design's seven principles include equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use.

Affordances signal how an object is used (a handle affords pulling); signifiers make the affordance visible; a constraint prevents an incorrect action.

Form follows function is a heuristic, not a law: functional requirements and semantic/emotional requirements are resolved together in a good product.

Materials selection balances mechanical properties (strength, stiffness, hardness), process compatibility (injection moulding, bending, casting), cost and end-of-life recyclability.

Type anatomy: baseline, x-height, cap height, ascender, descender, counter, stem, bowl, serif, terminal; x-height strongly affects apparent size and legibility.

Classification: humanist, transitional, modern (Didone), Egyptian/slab, sans-serif (grotesque, geometric, humanist), plus script and display faces.

Units: 1 point = 1/72 inch ≈ 0.353 mm; 1 pica = 12 points; 1 em is the type size, 1 en is half of it.

Legibility rules: line length 45-75 characters, leading 120-145% of type size for body text, and adequate contrast; all-caps is acceptable for short headings only.

Kerning adjusts space between a pair of letters, tracking adjusts spacing across a run, leading adjusts line spacing; letter-spacing is measured in ems or thousandths of an em.

Signage: pictograms must be legible at distance, contrast ratio should be high (dark on light or light on dark), and text height relates to reading distance (roughly 1 mm of cap height per 250 mm of distance for critical reading).

Image functions: informational, persuasive, decorative; cropping, scale, angle and juxtaposition change meaning, and captions anchor an image's interpretation.

Arts and Crafts (Morris, Ruskin, from 1860s): reaction against industrial production, defence of craft, honest materials, medievalism.

Bauhaus (Weimar 1919, Dessau 1925, closed 1933): unite art and craft, form follows function, geometric vocabulary, preliminary course (Vorkurs), workshops; masters include Gropius, Klee, Kandinsky, Moholy-Nagy, Albers.

De Stijl (1917, Netherlands): Mondrian and van Doesburg, orthogonal grid, primary colours plus black/white/grey, elementarism and neoplasticism.

Russian Constructivism (1915-1930s): El Lissitzky, Rodchenko, photomontage, diagonal dynamics, red/black, design in service of social transformation.

Art Deco (1925 Paris exposition, 'Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs'): geometric ornament, exotic and machine motifs, luxury materials, streamlined forms.

Swiss Style / International Typographic Style (1950s): grid systems, Helvetica (1957, Miedinger and Hoffmann), asymmetric layout, objective photography; Müller-Brockmann as key figure.

Postmodernism and Memphis (1980s, Sottsass): quotation, irony, anti-functional ornament, historical eclecticism; preceded by Pop and followed by digital and parametric design.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates impacts from raw material extraction through production, distribution, use and end-of-life; it prevents shifting the burden between stages.

Circular design strategies follow the waste hierarchy: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycle, recover; design for disassembly and mono-materiality ease recycling.

Eco-design criteria: material efficiency, low-impact and recycled materials, energy in use, longevity, repairability, recyclability, packaging minimisation, and avoided hazardous substances.

WCAG principles POUR: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust; minimum contrast for normal text is 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text), and colour must never be the sole carrier of meaning.

Accessibility in practice: alternative text for images, captions for video, keyboard operability, focus indicators, resizable text to 200% without loss of content.

Ethical design concerns: dark patterns (forced continuity, roach motel, confirmshaming), persuasive design versus manipulation, data minimisation and informed consent.

Inclusive design differs from universal design in process: it starts from excluded user groups and treats diversity as a design resource, extending benefit to all users.